Graduate Student – In Context
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Graduate Student

Graduate Qualifying Paper, Graduate Student, Research, Research Travel, Students

2023 Travel Highlights: Michaela Peine in Boston

Michaela Peine (she/her) is a graduate student in the department of Art History. She is in her 4th semester at St. Thomas, and plans to finish the program in 5 semesters. Michaela’s area of interest is in the relationship between tangible/sensory qualities and psychological narratives in Italian Renaissance art. When she is not attending classes, Michaela works as a gallery guard at the AMAA, as well as with UST Campus Life. Off campus, Michaela holds an internship with the Cathedral of St. Paul, where she is working with their archives – developing an exhibit connecting their art and architecture to the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.  

Michaela in Boston!

In 2023, Michaela conducted research in Boston from November 9-14th . With Dr. Lois Eliason as her faculty advisor, Michaela connected with Frederick Ilchman, the chair of European Art at the Museum of Fine Arts. Here are some questions we asked Michaela regarding her research and her time at the Boston MFA: 

Q: What was the purpose of this project? What was the content of your research?
MP: The panel that I’m writing my QP on (here) (Virgin Enthroned by Fra Angelico) is in the MFA collection, and I was able to meet with Mr. Ilchman to examine the panel, dig through their curation files, learn about the provenance, curation, and conservation of the piece. In particular, a lot of my theories about this panel were founded on the question of if it was double-sided. Mr. Ilchman confirmed that the panel was double sided, and I was able to read through the MFA’s documentation of everything that is known about the panel’s reverse. 

Q: How were your days structured?
MP: I spent most of my time at the MFA. I first took a day to visit their collections and my panel again – while I was there, they had an amazing exhibit on that related to many of my research questions. I went back another day to meet with the European Art department and the conservation staff who had worked with my piece. Another day I spent in the Massachusetts Historical Society, where I looked through journals, photographs, and materials relating to the provenance of the panel. 

Q: What was your favorite part of the findings/research results?
MP: In the curation materials about my panel was an old slide with a color photograph of the back side of my panel! The reverse of the panel was split from the painting, and is now separate from the work on display in the MFA, in a (very secret) private collection. This was the first time I saw any image of reverse, and it was incredible to have so many of my hypotheses supported!! I think I sent Lois an email entirely in capslock, out of excitement.  

Q: Anything else notable about the trip/the work you did?
After I finished my work in the MFA, Mr. Ilchman brought me down (through many many levels of security) to the MFA’s collections to show me paintings and works not on display.  At one point he pulled out a rack that had three paintings by Monet. 

Graduate Student, Research, Research Travel

Summer 2023 Travel Highlights: Etruscan black-glaze pottery with Ingrid Cologne

Ingrid Cologne (she/her) is an Art History/Archaeology Graduate student at the University of St. Thomas. As a Graduate Student Assistant, she works in supporting the development of a South Italian pottery database with Professor Mark Stansbury O’Donnell. Ingrid’s academic interest is in Early Renaissance Florence, South Italian and Attic Pottery. Her favorite art historical activity is getting down in the dirt to excavate!

The final result of sorting and analyzing all the pottery shards.

 

Over the summer, Ingrid worked with Dr. Francesca Silvestrelli, an expert in Etruscan, Attic, and South Italian pottery and professor of archaeology at the University of Salento in Lecce, Italy. Onsite in the University’s archaeological laboratory, they processed a large amount of high-quality black-glaze pottery that has been recovered over the last 20 years from the Campo della Fiera site in Orvieto – an extremely significant area that is hypothesized to have been the seat of the Etruscan Fanum Volumnae: the elusive, all-important federal sanctuary where delegates of the 12 Etruscan regions would gather. Rich in material culture, the site was the last to fall to the Romans in the 3rd century BCE.

The project began with sorting thousands of pottery shards based on intensive stylistic analysis – examining each piece based on the quality of its glaze, thickness, rim-style, and diameter – which then allowed the team to categorize the shape the sherd likely came from. From there, the pair worked to identify joins: sherds that fit together to form a single vessel. Once the joins were established, Ingrid was tasked with restoring the pottery and creating archaeological profile drawings to document the vessels found for future research. Once this was completed, she analyzed the clay composition using the Munsell Color System, which involved close examination of the clay fabric to document color and texture, which then give important information on the mineral content and density of the clay that was used. Much of Dr. Silvestrelli’s recent scholarship has focused on kilns used to fire black-glaze pottery; so, she also taught Ingrid how to identify the visual markers that provide clues into the firing process. For example: a well-fired cup presents a luminous, even black gloss on both the inner and outer surface, but fragments with red or brown discolorations indicate problems during the final oxidized phase of firing, and grey fragments demonstrate incorrect temperature control during the second phase. When put together, all of this information provided valuable insight into the context of the massive amount of pottery sherds that were found at this site. A crash course in an archaeological lab, this opportunity provided Ingrid with invaluable hands-on experience that will be crucial to her success and competitiveness in the field after graduation. 

Graduate Student

Meet Our Graduate Students: Abby Slawik

Abby Slawik is currently in her first semester in the Non-Degree Program in Art History. She is enrolled in Imaging the Other: Representation of/in Pre-Columbian and Early Colonial Mexico and Peru.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I went to NYU for studio art.

What was your career prior to your decision to enter the Non-Degree program in Art History?

I was a picture framer (design and production), as well as an art installer, for several years after graduation. I am also interning with a couple of conservation labs in the Twin Cities. These experiences have helped me understand some of the material language in the class.

What drew you to the University of St. Thomas?

Their course offerings are innovative, not overly generalized, and all have the potential for primary source study here in the Twin Cities. Also, they offer courses at night. I have a busy schedule during regular business hours with jobs and internships, so the class schedule really helps me out.

What advice would you give someone considering graduate study in art history at the University of St. Thomas?

Take advantage of all of the networking and professional development opportunities! The Twin Cities have a world-class, but accessible, arts community, and you WILL meet people who will help you out professionally. The arts/museum field is very competitive and sometimes you have to make it up as you go along. Don’t forget to stay flexible, stay interested, and have a plan B, and maybe a plan C too, just in case.

What are you currently interested in?

I recently helped with a conservation treatment on an artwork by Simon Sparrow, a self-taught, or “outsider” artist. I am interested in studying the processes of this artist more in depth, and more broadly, how the “outsider” artist phenomenon caught on in the 20th century and sparked a cutthroat resale market.

How are your classes this semester?

I am enjoying the informal research we are doing in Dr. Barnes’s class about various rumors, scandals, or unproven theories. It is a real hands-on approach, and is helping hone my research skills.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Keeping up with the reading is keeping me on my toes. I haven’t had this much homework for a few years, so I’m out of practice! I am also behind some of my classmates, because I haven’t taken any of the foundational “Methods” courses.

Graduate Student

Meet Our Graduate Students: Ann Arntson

Ann Arntson recently completed her first semester in the Museum Studies Certificate program at the University of St. Thomas in fall 2019. 

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I went to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and studied History. My emphasis was in Egyptian and Middle Eastern history.

Why did you want to continue your studies with the University St. Thomas?

I am currently enrolled in the Masters of Library and Information Science with an emphasis in Archives and Special Collections. A classmate told me about the Museums Studies program and I thought it would be an important complement to archives and libraries.

What advice would you give someone thinking of coming to St. Thomas for the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies?

I would tell them that St. Thomas provides a supportive environment from both the Art History department and other students. I very much enjoy my time here because of this. Also, I would tell them to go to the department events! 

What are you currently interested in?

  1. Psychology of collecting, especially how it applies to museums, archives, and other related fields.
  2. Egyptian history (ancient to modern)
  3. Adding to my book list

How were your classes last semester?

The semester was good but very busy. I very much enjoyed Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy. I was also taking Archives and Mmetadata courses at St. Kate’s.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Balancing coursework, student groups, networking, internships/jobs and personal life.

Graduate Student, Museum Studies

Meet Our Graduate Students: Molly McIntosh

Molly McIntosh is currently in her first semester of the Master of Arts in Art History and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergraduate and what did you study?

I studied at the University of St. Thomas and majored in History.

What were you doing before you decided to switch gears and get your Master of Arts in Art History and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies?

I volunteered at a local historical society – the Aitkin County Historical Society and the MilleLacs Indian Museum while continuing to work at the Minnesota State Capitol as a historic interpreter.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

I mainly came for the museum studies program. I had been made familiar with it beforehand from some of my professors in the history program. They said it was a good fit for me because I was always talking about museums. I was offered a museum fellowship with the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) at the History Center. This is a fellowship that they do once or twice a year to help young professionals navigate the museum field. I accepted that, and it was awesome!

Were you designated to one department during the fellowship or did you do a little bit of everything?

The Museum Fellows do a little bit of everything. We get to meet a lot of professionals at the Minnesota Historical Society from different areas. I got to learn a little bit about grant writing, the process of asking for donations, the educational side of it, as well as programming and finance. People from MNHS would come and do a talk in front of the class about what they do and then you did a lot of reading on their area of expertise, which was intensive. We ended with a week-long trip to Chicago to see over a dozen museums. It was a great experience!

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying to the M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate program?

If it was for the Graduate Museum Studies Certificate I would definitely tell them to do internships, volunteer, or try to secure a position within some historical society or within a museum and feel your way through. There are so many paths that you can take in museums.

What are you currently interested in? 

When it comes to art history, I’ve explored a lot into the history of tattoo art, body art, and some body modification. I think it is a form of art that is really underappreciated, especially considering it has an unconventional canvas. There are some fantastic tattoo artists in the world and here in Minnesota that are underappreciated because their art comes from a different medium. I would like to see more tattoo artists and graffiti artists in particular, being given the chance to display their art in a formal way and given the time of day for what their talents are. I would like to see their work considered in the same way that people appreciate the old masters or contemporary works.

How are your classes this semester? 

My classes are going great. I enjoy the challenge of upper-level courses and the gratification of learning things that pertain to the career field I aspire to work in. I’ve also made great new friends with like-minded people as passionate as I am about art and museums.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge with graduate school is the time and the expense. You’ll see a lot of people in graduate school from all walks of life, some people more settled and those that aren’t more settled. I went to undergraduate here mainly on scholarships and grants. I was very lucky to graduate with very minimal loans. I didn’t come from a particularly well-off family. Graduate school, for me, is working three jobs and working six days a week and devoting myself to what I am really passionate about. It makes it all worth it in the end, but you just need to remember you are going to school for something you are passionate about.

Graduate Student

Meet Our Graduate Students: Keely Wardyn

Keely Wardyn is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History program. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Sacred Spaces in Unexpected Places.

Where did you go as an undergraduate and what did you study?

I went to Minnesota State University – Mankato. I studied Art History. Previously, I got an associate degree at South Central College and took a year off afterward and went to Italy, Switzerland, and France.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

My advisor, Alisa Eimen highly recommended St. Thomas for me. I wanted to stay in the state, which leaves St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. I knew I didn’t want to go to the University of Minnesota – I just knew it was going to be a competitive atmosphere instead of a collaborative one and that’s not what I was looking for. She recommended this program, so I applied for it and got in!

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying for the M.A. in Art History at St. Thomas?

Come in very open-minded and be willing to communicate with the faculty. Heather Shirey (Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies), emailed me after a week to check how I was doing with my classes and the commute to campus. Having someone to communicate with has been very important to me.

What are you currently interested in?

I am really interested in Persian art – especially manuscripts pages. The project I did for the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) undergraduate symposium explored a manuscript page they have in their collection. I was actually able to uncover some pretty amazing things about its attribution that the museum was unaware of. For me, that was the point where I knew that I wanted to focus on Persian and Islamic art.

How are your classes this semester?

They have been very good – extremely engaging. During my most recent Methods class, we had some amazing discussions. As for the Sacred in Unexpected Places, this has been amazing – getting to meet Bartholomew Voorsanger – that was inspiring to hear him talk about his work. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Learning how to structure my weeks now. The last year and a half I haven’t been in school, so being disciplined about my time (and not binge-watching shows on Netflix whenever I feel like it) has been a change. After you’re in school for a while you just back into the routine. Basically, balancing full-time work and two grad-level classes continues to be the greatest challenge.